


Bendy Kitten and the Red Branch

by Daegaer



Category: Bendy Kitten, Irish Mythology
Genre: Fluff and Crack, Gen, Iron Age Irish Sport, Just Add Kittens, hurling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-13
Updated: 2005-01-13
Packaged: 2018-11-19 08:11:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11309301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: How Setanta got the name by which he was known throughout all the five kingdoms of Ireland.





	Bendy Kitten and the Red Branch

Long ago, long ago, Conor mac Nessa the king of Ulster went to visit his friend Culain the smith, and he wanted to bring his sister's son Setanta with him. But Setanta was too busy playing hurley and causing injury to the boys of Emhain Macha, so he said he would go after the game. And so Conor went alone, and was feasted richly in the house of Culain.

And when the hurley game was over, Setanta left the boys crying in pain on the field and went off after his uncle to have his dinner, for a great hunger was on him. And to amuse himself along the way he would hit his sliotar a blow of the camán as hard as he could and would run on to hit it again before it ever touched the earth. In this way he came at last to the house of Culain, and he saw a fearsome sight, for it being night time Culain had unleashed the beast that guarded his house, so that no foe could come upon himself or his guest. Setanta looked at the appearance of this beast, which was a small and stripey kitten, and it wobbling towards him, and he was overcome with the desire to pick it up and cuddle it so that he was unable entirely to enter the house.

mew, said the kitten.

"Awwww," said Setanta.

At last, seeing he would be unable to enter the house and have his dinner while the kitten guarded the door, Setanta picked up his camán in one hand and his sliotar in the other and he gave the sliotar a hit with the camán towards the kitten, so that it rolled gently up to its little bendy feet.

mew! said the kitten, and it wobbling with excitement as it put one little paw up to pat at the sliotar. It fell over, and purred.

"Awww!" said Setanta, and fled into the house before the kitten could overcome him once again.

"Who is this and how did he get past my kitten?" asked Culain.

"Is it not Setanta, my sister's son, who is after besting your kitten in combat?" said Conor.

They went out, and there was the kitten patting at the sliotar and wobbling slowly after it to pat it again.

"How will I guard my home, now that you have bested my kitten?" asked Culain.

"I will stay and guard your house till the kitten gets tired of playing with the sliotar," said Setanta, and both Conor and Culain agreed. And so it was the lad got the name by which all Ireland knows him, Cait Chulain, the Cat of Culain.

 

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For those going "She's really lost it now", this [summary of the myth might be helpful.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/northern_ireland/ni_7/video_1.shtml)


End file.
